Temporary respite...

The next few weeks will be a bit sparse as far as updates go. I'm in the process of (finally) taking my first steps into the world of small business, and that involves how and when my own website and independent blog will factor into the picture.

School is also keeping me on my toes, and it goes without saying that the kids do as well. But, regular updates will resume as soon as things settle down around here.

Of course, now that I think about it, that could be never. ;)

Stopping to Smell the Roses

I took this photo at the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church a few weeks ago. We were there for my mom's induction into her college's Honor Society. I was busy snapping shots of the amazing stained glass and the gorgeous pews when I looked up and found this: a gorgeous green glass dome. If I hadn't taken the time to look around, if I'd just concentrated on the ceremony I was there to see, I would have missed this beautiful photograph.

It's easy to get sucked into every day so that I forget to notice the little details. On those days, I'm glad I've got photographs like these to remind me what happens when I stop to look around.

Chloe

It is definitately a rare thing to capture an image of this gorgeous girl that isn't blurred beyond recognition. At two years and some months old, she is constantly in motion exploring the world around her. She's always giving my photographic skills a workout. Trying to freeze frame a whirling dervish like my Chloe is a wonderful way to learn (and relearn!) shutter speed basics!

I took so many thousands of photos of her when she was a baby. It was all so easy then. She was beautiful in her newborn baby way, and she had yet to learn how to crawl, scoot, cruise, walk, or run away from my camera.

These days, I've learned, I have to be devious. I have to catch these rare moments of stillness when they present themselves, and that means being on the lookout for the shot 24/7. Often I fail, managing to capture nothing more than the swish of her hair as she turns tail and runs, laughing all the way. But then there are days when the sun is shining and she is laughing and I get lucky.

I get this. Blonde hair and a smiling face and a little pink tongue peeking out. One shot like this is worth all the thousands that end up in the delete pile.

Chloe - May 16, 2009 - Huntington,WV

Missed Opportunities

I adore nature photography. Nothing makes me happier than tramping through the woods with my camera strung around my neck, ducking through underbrush trying to find a good shot. If I had my own way about things, I'd make a living doing exactly that.

That being said, I also enjoy portraiture. Not quite as much, but I do get more of a sense of accomplishment from a good portrait, because, for me, portraits are more difficult.

There was the possibility recently of my shooting senior portraits for a cousin of a cousin. I was psyched about it; it had been about a year since my last actual "shoot" for people who weren't family. When the cousin finally contacted me to set up a time for the shoot, it was to let me know that the photos had to be done the next day, because the deadline for yearbook photos was the day after. There was no possible way on this green earth I would have had time to work within that deadline, having two kids to care for and all. I can't just drop the kids on someone at the drop of a hat and run off to shoot pictures. I'm a mom - I have to schedule everything to within an inch of it's life.

I'm disappointed that I missed the opportunity to build my portfolio, but that's just more incentive for me to go out and hunt down more prospective portrait shoots.

April Showers and Spring Flowers

I love so many things about spring: the warmer weather, sudden rainshowers, longer days. But most of all, I love it when all of the dormant flowers start to poke their heads above the soil.

With two babies under three at home, I'm often pressed for time and unable to get away with my camera. It becomes a challenge to find new and interesting things to photograph in my everyday environment, but the flowers of spring never let me down.

I'm not much of a gardener myself, with the exception of one lone rose bush that practically takes care of itself, but I can always count on my mom to have plenty of gorgeous blooms around. These magnolia blooms are flowering on the tree in her front yard, next to a gorgeous smelling lilac and right in front of a goldfish pond surrounded by tulips and hyacinth. The kids and I are there often, nearly every day, so I'm always taking advantage of Mom's green thumb by capturing an image or twelve. Or forty.

It's amazing what you can find to photograph right in front of you when you keep your eyes open.

Welcome!

Welcome, everyone, to the official "launch" of my photoblog, The Country Photographer. I wanted a home on the 'net to share my imaging exploits, adventures and learnings, to track my progress as I evolve into a better photographer, and to share photos with friends and family (and potential clients!). I hope you'll come along and join me for the ride.

Check back often for updates, new photos, and general news about the photographic experiences in my life.